1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wheelchairs, and more specifically to a wheelchair having a seat-lift mechanism to (1) assist the user in getting out of the wheelchair, and (2) enable the user to adjust the position of the seat in an infinite number of positions between the conventional horizontal seat position and an up-right position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A number of chairs, including wheelchairs, incorporate seat-lift mechanisms for assisting users out of the chairs. One such wheelchair system utilizes a hydraulic jack having a reciprocal-type lever that is used to "pump" the hinged seat and back from the horizontal position to an up-right position. Another seat-lift wheelchair incorporates a motorized power screw to raise the hinged seat and back upward and forward to permit the user to exit the wheelchair. A number of other prior art patents disclose springs and lever and/or pulley mechanisms for spring-biasing the chair seat from its horizontal position to an up-right position.